Following
the article I wrote in BFF Fashion Blog about the fascinating and surprisingly long
history of the bellbottoms, I decided to dedicate another blog post to the
issue, and this time all in English for my non Israeli readers. So here goes:
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My ultimate
look for fall 2013: Pairing the metallic blue trend with an animal print and a
pair of bellbottom jeans, flaring out at the knee.
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When
we think of bellbottoms, the first image that comes to mind is a 1970's disco
scene immersed in Lycra, puffy Afro hairdos, and wailing BG's melodies. But
believe it or not - the flare bottom pants (or the "boot cut") pant
wasn't invented by Mick Jagger in the middle of a cocaine snort session at New
York's "Studio 54" in the 1970's. It was actually first mentioned in
1813 in the protocols of the USA Navy. Rough denim flare bottom pants, tight on
the thighs, as not to disturb the sailors on their daily labors, were a part of
the naval uniform in the US during the 19th century. The wide bottom
allowed the sailors to fold the pants easily if they got wet or take them off
over their boots (hence: "boot cut").
Rumor
even has it that filling them up with air and tying them to the calf, also
transformed the pants into instant floatation devices in case any of the men
fell overboard…Don't try this at home!
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| Sailors of the 19th century- If they had only known they were starting a trend for centuries to come |
The
sailors of the 19th century never knew that less than a hundred
years later they would become an inspiration for the international pioneer in women's
fashion. Indeed, in 1917, while all of Europe was striving to bring World War I
to a close, a Parisian boutique owner was enjoying her holiday on the beach of
the French resort town of Deauville, when she suddenly noticed a group of
sailors tugging a boat.
The
young boutique owner- one, Gabrielle ("Coco") Chanel- had been trying
for years to liberate French women from the constraints of corsets and starched
collars, but with no great success. It was in this pivotal moment that Chanel
realized that a pair of flaring cotton pants, paired with a striped jersey
shirt, modeled after sailors' uniforms, was the perfect outfit for women who
could no longer afford to sit in their parlors and embroider but had to work to
aid in the success of the home-front.
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Coco Chanel in a striped shirt and flaring pants- Classic and timeless
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The
rebellious Parisian sewed and wore the suite, thus creating a look that was so
classic and timeless that we can still see it to this day on the runways and
the streets.
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From 1917 to Fall 2013: Taking a page out of Chanel's book.
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The
masculine bellbottom pants continued being the symbol of women's liberation and
equality between the sexes. In the 1930, the style was embraced by such prominent
Hollywood screen sirens as Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo. The 1930's pant
was wide from the hip all the way down to the bottom, and it turned those
outstanding actresses to feminist icons for years to come though also sparking
rumors about their sexual orientation.
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| Katharine Hepburn- a Pioneer of unisex dressing |
Nevertheless,
the trend wouldn't fade away, and thirty years later it was still popular as it
was reintroduced by the flower children of the 1960's. The Hippies saw the free
lose cut of the pant as a symbol for social freedom and rebellion against
traditional dress codes.
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| Flower power bellbottoms |
But
no decade celebrated the bellbottoms like the 1970's. It was then that this style practically became a pop culture star in its own right, as it was now worn
by both men and woman in demonstration of the gradually blurring gender lines
and the newly expressed openness within the homosexual community.
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| Breaking the gender barriers: Men and women in bellbottoms in the 1970's |
Soon,
the discos were filled with iridescent Lycra bellbottom wearing crowds. And
though it was a horrendous trend which I pray never returns, some seventies
icons did manage to make the bellbottom cool, like Charlie's Angels- the symbols
of modern feminism- who wore bellbottom pants every time they chased dangerous
criminals with their blown out feathered hair waving in the wind.
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| Flaring pants as a symbol of tough femininity. On the right: Katherine Hepburn in the 1930's. On the left: "Charlie's Angels" in the 1970's |
In
the recent decade, the bellbottoms have been pushed aside and forgotten in
favor of the skinny jeans, which I believe are the spawns of Satan as far as
fashion is concerned. I mean, let's face it- it shortens the leg, clings to any
extra ounce on the thighs, and generally speaking- is only suitable for women
with long and slender legs. Nonetheless, I was overcome with renewed hope about
two years ago when I first saw photos of Kate Moss modeling bellbottoms. And
only a few months later, the bellbottoms made an appearance in the Chloé
fall/winter 2013 show.
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| First signs of a bellbottom comeback: Kate Moss 2012 and Chloé- fall/winter 2012-13 |
But
the one who truly and officially resuscitated the bellbottom pants is Russian
model turned fashion designer- Ulyana Sergeenko. Sergeenko, who is often referred
to as the "Czarina of the fashion world"- greatly due to her tendency
to dress in elaborate garments inspired traditional Russian costumes, with
large embroidered skirts and elaborate headdresses, chose the "Russian field worker" look (in
the chicest way possible) for the Giambattista Valli show in Italy recently. In a photo Sergeenko posted on her
Facebook page, she appears in pants, tight on the thigh and flaring out on the
bottom, with suspenders and boyish short hair; a look which tells the world
that the bells are once again ringing!
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| The Empress's new pants: Ulyana Sergeenko, backstage at the Giambattista Valli show |
American
fashion designer Marc Jacobs was the next to jump on the bandwagon when he too
posted a photo on his Facebook page, showing him in his studio working on a
bellbottom pant suit. The photo, as
Jacob mentioned in the photo caption, was taken in 2009, which means that the
world's leading fashion designers already knew back then that the
comeback was right around the corner. And though the suit kind of makes me
think of Poirot the sad clown, it is
clear that bellbottoms are officially back.
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Marc Jacobs studio. Fall/Winter 2009
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It
doesn't take a genius to know that if Marc Jacobs and Ulyana Sergeenko have set
a trend, the rest of the world would soon follow suit (pun totally intended…) Indeed, white bellbottom pant suits were a prominent and refreshing sight at
this year's fashion weeks, particularly in the Alberta Ferretii show and even
in the debut spring/summer 2014 collection by stylist turned designer- Rachel
Zoe. Zoe, who is known for her Boho Chic style embraced the bellbottoms wholeheartedly,
and was even photographed walking around the streets of L.A. in flowy chiffon blouses
and bellbottom jeans as though she had just come out of Woodstock.
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Crisp white bellbottom pant suits. On the right: Alberta Ferrettii,
fall/winter 2013-14. On the left: Rachel Zoe, spring/summer 2014.
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Sadly,
the gospel has yet to reach my little Mediterranean home land, as the streets of
Israel are still overflowing with women stuffing their thighs into binding
skinny jeans. But, being the bellbottom
1970's enthusiast that I am, I waited anxiously for the first autumn breeze to
blow so that I could pull my favorite boot cut jeans out of the closet and put
together what I consider to be the perfect fall ensemble. Now, all that's left
is just to put on some funky music and get in touch with my inner groovy chick.
If you wish to take a look at the original Hebrew version of this post, you are welcome to visit: http://www.bff.co.il/%D7%A6%D7%9C%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%A2%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%97%D7%96%D7%A8%D7%AA%D7%9D-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%A1%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%93%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%9F/
*Disclaimer: Non of the photos in this blogpost, apart from those in which I am personally photographed, belong to me.
